Steam-separator.



Patented September 6, 1904.

PATENT OEEicE.

CHARLES E. HUXLEY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

STEAM-SEPARATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 769,440, dated September 6, 1904.

Application nieu October 19, 1903. Serial No. 177,558. (No model.)

To /r/H Ich/mt it 711mg/ concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. I-IUXLEY, of Chicago, in the county of Cool; and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful .Improvements in Steam-Separators; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in steam-separators or devices for separating moisture from steam; and the invention consists in the matters hereinafter set forth, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

As shown in the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical sect-ion of a steam-separator made in accordance with my invcntion,tal en on line I 1 of Fig. Q. Fig. 2 is a similar section taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a transverse horizontal section taken on line 3 3 of Fig'. 1.

Ihe device embraces a chambered casting having a main chamber A and horizontallyarranged steam inlet and outlet pipes Band C, the steam entering the device through the pipe B and being' discharged therefrom through the pipe C.

l) designates a w afer-collecting chamber below the scparating-chamber, which receives the water separated from the steam. Such chamber preferably provided with a waterglass and with a valved outlet d for the discharge of the water of condensation.

E designates a vcrtically-arranged semicylindric partition located between the inlet and outlet pipes .B and C and extending downwardly from the top wall of the chamber A. The margins of said semicylindric partition are extended obliquely laterally, being preferably inclined toward the steam-inlet pipe B to form wings F F, which extend from the margins of the semicylindric partitions tothe side and top walls of the chamber A and are continued a distance below the level of the inlet-pipe I3. The parts E and F together constitute an intercepting partition which intercepts the steam and collects the water condensed from the steam, and the dry steam passes beneath the wings to the outlet-pipe C, while the water falls into the chamber I). The semicylindric central portion E of the partition is continued do\\f'nwardly below the wings F in the form of a complete tube E, which latter extends at its lower end into the water-collecting chamber D. The wings F are provided at their faces adjacent to thc inlet-pipe with a plurality of oblique ribs or ridges f and interveningdepressions, which are inclined downwardly and inwardly from the outer margins of said wings toward the semicylindric portion of the partition. At the lower edges of said wings are formed relatively deep troughs or gutters F,which are also inclined downwardly and inwardly toward the upper end of the tube E. A portion of the water which collects or condenses on the wings is directed by said ribs and depressions to the central part IC of the partition, and the water drains down through the closed tube E to the collecting-chamber. The water which trickles down overthe roughened or ribbed faces of the wings is caught by the troughs or gutters Fl and directed to the tube E and from thence to the collecting-chamber.

The course or path of the steam through the device is indicated by the arrows on Fig.k l. From an inspection of such figure it will be seen that all of the steam entering' the device through the inlet-pipe B strikes or impinges against the partition E, and the steam, after the water has been condensed therefrom, passes downwardly beneath the wings and around the closed tube It' to the outlet side of the device. from the inlet to the outlet side of the device does not come into contact with the water which has been separated from the steam and as the water is falling from the separatingchamber to the water-collecting chamber I); but by reason of thc presence of the closed tube E, which conducts the water from the partition to the collecting-cham ber and around which the steam passes, the dry steam is pre- The steam in passing vented from impinging against said water.

IOO

partly saturated and the efciency of the device impaired. In the operation of my device, on the other hand, the steam does not come into contact with the water of condensation dripping downwardly from the partition of the separating-chamber, so that it leaves the device in as dry a state or condition as it is practicable to attain.

As a further and separate improvement I have provided means whereby an unusual or violent rush of steam through the device will not lift the water out of the collecting-chamber D and force a portion of it into the steamoutlet pipe C. The construction whereby I am enabled to avoid this result is made as follows: Gr designates a flange which extends radially inwardly from the wall of the collecting-chamber between the latter and the mixing-chamber and located a distance above the level of and surrounding the lower end of the closed tube E. Said iange is preferably inclined downwardly and inwardly, both for Ithe purpose of facilitating the drippingr of water which falls thereon into the collecting-chamber and also to constitute a more eiiicient overhanging obstruction to prevent the water being lifted out of the collectingchamber. As a further guard against the water being so forced into the outlet-pipe C the lower part or wall of the outlet-pipe C is continued inwardly to and is joined to the central semicylindric partition E, as best shown in Figs. l and 3, thereby constituting a' horizontal partition to intercept the water and around the upper edges of which the steam must pass on its way to the outlet-pipe.

The said part of the outlet pipe or passage C is preferably made integral with the partition.

It is obvious that certain of the details and proportions of the parts herein illustrated may be varied .without departing from the spirit of my invention, and I do not wish to be limited to such details, except as hereinafter made the subject of the specific claims.

I claim as my inventionl. Asteam-separator, comprisingaseparating-chamber provided with steam inlet and outlet passages, a water-collecting chamber, a partition extending across the separatingchamber between the inlet and outlet passages thereof and to the top wall of said chamber, whereby all of the steam passes beneath the partition on its way to the outlet-passage,A and a collecting device at the extreme lower margin of the partition, which receives the water collected on the partition and directs it to the collecting-chamber, said collecting device extending a substantial distance below the margin of said partition, whereby is prevented the impingement of the steam against the water falling from the partition during the passage of the steam around said partition.

2. Asteam-separator comprising a separating-chamber provided with steam inlet and outlet passages, a water-collecting chamber,

a partition extending across said separatingchamber between the inlet and outlet passages and provided on its face adjacent to the steaminlet with a plurality of ribs and intervening depressions which incline downwardly and inwardly from the sides of said partition, and a closed tube extending downwardly from the central part of the lower margin of said partition and receiving water which collects on and drips from said partition and conducts it to the water-collecting chamber.

3. A steam-separator comprising a separating-chamber provided with steam inlet and outlet passages, a water-collecting chamber, an imperforate partition extending across the separating-chamber between said inlet and outlet passages, and a closedtube depending from the lower margin of said partition, and extending a substantial distance below said margin whereby the steam passing under said partition does not strike the water falling from the tube, said partition being provided at its lower margin on the side thereof which faces the inlet-passage with a gutter which directs all the water collecting' on said partition into said tube through which it is conducted to the collecting-chamber.

4. A steam-separator comprising a separating-chamber provided with steam inlet and outlet passages, a lwater-collecting chamber, an imperforate partition extending across the chamber and comprising two side parts or wings which are inclined laterally and forwardly toward the inlet-passage and provided at their lower margins with downwardly and inwardly inclined gutters which direct the water dripping downwardly on said partition to the center thereof and a closed tube depending from said partition at the inner ends of said gutters through which water collected by said gutters is conducted to the water-collecting chamber. A

5. A steam-separator, comprising a separating-chamber, and a partition comprising a central, horizontally-concave part and laterallydirected wings extending across the separating-chamber between the inlet and outlet passages, said central part of the partition terminating in a downwardly-extending closed tube through which the water drips from the partition and is discharged into the collecting.- chamber.

' 6. Asteam-separator, comprisingaseparating-chamber provided with steam inlet and outlet passages, a water-collecting chamber, and a partition extending across the separating-chamber between the inlet and outlet passages, comprising a centrally-located, horizontally-concave part provided with lateral wings which latter extend to the top and side walls of the mixing-chamber, said central part of the partition terminating at its lower end in a closed tube, and the wings being provided at their lower margins with downwardly and inwardly inclined gutters which direct the wa- IOO ter dripping' from said wings into saidclosed tube, through which it is conducted to the collecting-chamber.

7. A steam-separator, comprising a separating-chamber provided with steam inlet and outlet passages, a water-collecting chamber, and a partition extending across the separating-chamber between the inlet and outlet passages, comprising a central, horizontally-concave part which terminates at its lower end in a closed tube, and laterally-directed wings extending from the margins of the said central part to the side and top walls of the separating-chamber, and provided on their faces adjacent to the steam-inlet passage with downwardljv and inwardly inclined ribs and inter-Y vening' depressions and on their lower margins with gutters which direct the water condensed on said wings to the centrally-located tube, from whence it is discharged into the colleeting-chamber.

8. A steam-sejmrator, comprising a separating-chamber provided with steam inlet and outlet passages, a water-collecting' chamber located beneath the same, a partition extending across the separating-chamber between the inlet and outlet passages, means whereby the water ot' condensation on said partition is directed to the said collecting-chamber, and means for preventing the water in the collecting-chamber from being lifted by the steam into the outlet steam-passage.

9. A steam-separator, comprising a separating-chamber provided with steam inlet and outlet passages, a water-collecting chamber located beneath the same, a partition extending across the separating-chamber between the inlet and outlet passages, means whereby the water ot' condensation on said partition is directed to the said collecting-chamber, and a continuous radial, inwardly-directed llange between the separating and collecting chambers and surro unding the space through which the water is directed from the separating to the collecting' chamber.

l0. A steam-separator, comprising' a separating-chamber provided with steam inlet and outlet passages, a collecting-chamber beneath the separating-chamber, a partition extending across the separating-chamber between the inlet and outlet passages and terminating at its lower end in a centrally-arranged closed tube which extends into the collecting-chamber,

means wherebjY the water condensed on said partition is directed into said tube and therethrough to the collecting-chamber, and a radial, inwardly-directed flange between said collecting and separating chambers and surrounding the lower end of said tube.

ll. A steam-separator, comprising a separating-chamber provided with steam inlet and outlet passages, a partition extending across the separating-chamber between said inlet and outlet passages and a water-collecting chamber which receives the water collected on and dripping from said partition, the lower wall of said steam-outlet passage or pipe extending into the separating-chamber and being joined to the adjacent side ot' the partition.

l2. A steam-separator, comprising a separating-chamber provided with steam inlet and outlet passages, a water-collecting chamber beneath the separating-chamber, a partition extending across the separating-ehamber between the inlet and outlet passages thereof, said partition terminating at its lower end in a closed tube which extends into the collecting-chamber, and means whereby water condensed on said partition is directed into said tube and therethrough into the collectingchamber, the lower wall ot' the steam-outlet passage extending' int-o said separating-chamber and being' joined to the adjacent side ot' said partition.

13. A steam-separator, comprising a separating-chamber provided with steam inlet and outlet passages, a water-collecting chamber beneath the separatiiig-chamber, a partition extending' across the separating-chamber between the inlet and outlet passages thereot', said partition terminating at its lower end in a closed tube which extends into the collecting-chamber, means whi-nebyv water condensed on said partition is directed into said tube and therethrough into the collecting-chamber, the lower wall otl the steam-outlet passage extending into said separating-chamber and being joined tothe adjacent side of said partition, and a radial inwardly -directed flange surrounding the said lower end of said closed tube IOO between said separating and water-collecting 

